Ethiopians abducted from Khartoum prison

ESAT News (March 7, 2017)

Undisclosed number of Ethiopians including a priest were abducted on Monday from a prison in the Sudanese capital Khartoum.

A source told ESAT that a number of prisoners were loaded on a bus with an Ethiopian license plate on Monday night and taken to Ethiopia.

Among the prisoners is a priest, who is being repatriated to Ethiopia for the second time. He was taken by Ethiopian regime security and jailed for 10 months before a court set him free. The priest who goes by his first name, Tegegn, came back to Khartoum and reunited with his family, only to be thrown to jail again.

Ethiopian security, that colluded with their Sudanese counterpart, have been cracking down on people who are deemed opposition to the Ethiopian regime, according to sources.

Last month, Sudan has repatriated 63 Ethiopians who staged a protest rally against the increase in residence permit fees. The repatriation came after a Khartoum court  sentenced 65 Ethiopians to 40 lashes and a large fine for staging a demonstration at their embassy.

Members of the European Parliament last month  called  for inquiry as Ethiopian and Eritrean asylum seekers receive 40 lashes and $800 fines, while activists warn EU migration aid is emboldening Sudan, according to a report by The Guardian.

The report said the incident raises concerns about the strength of human rights conditions attached to more than $100m of migration-related aid earmarked for Sudan by the European commission.